Butter melting attachment for waffle irons and like appliances



A. V. PENICK Nov. 6, 1956 BUTTER MELTING ATTACHMENT FOR WAFFLE IRONS AND LIKE APPLIANCES 2 Sheets-sheafv 1 Filed June 12, 1953 INVENTOR. Arc/7 1'6 M Pen/ck Nov. 6, 1956 A. v PENICK 2,769,387

BUTTER MELTING ATTACHMENT FOR WAFFLE IRONS AND LIKE APPLIANCES Filed June 12, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIIIIIIIIIIII 1 0 i I 42 INVENTOR.

Arch/'6 l. Pen/Ck L BY United States Patent BUTTER MELTING ATTACHMENT FOR WAFFLE IRONS AND LIKE APPLIANCES Archie V. Penick, Lawton, Okla.

Application June 12, 1953, Serial No. 361,183

3 Claims. (Cl. 99-339) This invention relates to improvements in means for melting butter, oleomargarine, and the like, in conjunction with cooking appliances, such as waffle irons, sandwich grills, and the like.

An important object of the invention is .to provide a more efficient and practical butter melting means in conjunction with such as an electrical w-aflle iron, and drawing heat from the heating element thereof, without adversely affecting the proper functioning of said heating element.

Another object is to provide butter melting means of the character indicated above which has a heating element connected in circuit with the heating element of the waffle iron, thereby to effect the melting of the butter simultaneously with preparation of a waffle.

Another object is .to provide, in a butter melting device :as stated, a support member adapted to project laterally from its associated appliance in such a manner as to not interfere with the normal operation of the appliance, an outer cup carried by the support member, and an inner cup removably positioned in the outer cup and adapted to hold a quantity of butter or similar material to be melted, said inner cup having handle means associated therewith to facilitate its manipulation by a user.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawings, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a butter melting means formed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a view of a conventional wafile iron, partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section, a butter melting means formed in accordance with the present invention being illustrated in longitudinal section as it appears when mounted upon said wattle iron;

Figure 3 is an end eleuational view of said waflle iron, the butter melting means being illustrated in transverse sect-ion, with said section being taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through a modified form of the invention, a waffle iron on which the device is mounted being illustrated partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section, portions of said waffle iron being broken away; and

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view on line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral designates a conventional electrical wafile iron comprising a lower section 1'2 on which is hinged an upwardly swingable upper section 14, the lower section having a grid or mold 16 and the upper section having a grid or mold '18 opposed to the grid or mold 16.

An electrical heating element 20 is mounted in the lower section 12 beneath the grid 16, in closely spaced relation thereto.

The form of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 3 comprises a flat plate 26 having a relatively narrow longitudinal arm or extension 24 on its outer end. The

2,769,387 Patented Nov. 6, 1956 ICC 2 plate 26 is elongated rectangular in plan and is provided with a plurality of holes 28.

The plate 26 and its extension 24 are formed from a material having a high thermal conductivity rating, preferably aluminum, since aluminum conducts heat readily.

As will be noted in Figure 2, the lower section 12 of the waflle iron is formed, at one end, with a recess 22, through which the extension 24, with the plate 26 extends, overlying the heating element 20 and located in the space between said element and the grid 16. The holes 28 of the plate permit the free passage of heat between the heating element and the grid 16, and thus, the appliance can be used in the normal manner without being affected adversely by the presence of the plate 26.

Mounted upon the outer end of the extension 24 is an upwardly, flared outer cup 30, in which is removably positioned a correspondingly flared inner cup 32 having a handle '34, said inner cup being adapted to hold a quant-ity of butter B or other food to be warmed.

In use of the appliance, energizing of the heating element 20 is effective to heat the plate 26, the extension 24, and the cups 30 and 32, thereby melting butter present in the cup 32.

In Figures 4 and 5 there is illustrated a modified form of the invention, a wafile iron 36 has a lower section 38 on which is disposed an elevatable upper section 40. A U-shaped bracket 42 is secured to an end of the lower section 38 by screws 44 or other suitable means, and the portion of the end of the section 38 within the bracket is formed with a small opening 46 provided with a grommet 48.

The butter melting means of Figures 4 and 5 is generally designated by the reference numeral 50, and comprises, a hollow arm 51 of longitudinally tapered formation. At its larger end, the arm 51 is supportably engaged in the mounting bracket 42, and is in contact with the related end of the lower section 38 of the appliance.

At its smaller, outer end, the arm 51 is integrally formed with an upstanding, flared socket 52. An outer cup 56 is flared complementary to the socket, and is seated in the socket upon a plate 54 mounted in the socket. An inner cup 58 is removably positioned within the outer cup, and has a handle 60.

Mounted within the socket 52, and surrounding the outer cup 56, is a heating element 61, said heating element being spirally coiled about the outer cup and being carried by insulators 62. Insulated wires 64 and 66 are connected to opposite ends of the heating element and lead through the hollow arm 51 and the opening 46, and are connected in circuit with the wires 68 of the Waflle iron within the lower section 38. The particular electrical connections employed are believed to be sufliciently obvious as not to require special illustration, it being merely necessary that the heating element 61 be so connected in circuit with the heating element of the watfie iron as to be energized simultaneously with the waffle iron heating element, when the appliance is connected to a suitable source of electric power. Of course, a separate switch could, if desired, be associated with the butter melting device, so as to permit the butter melting device to operate only when and as desired.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carry out said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an electrical waflle iron, a lower section containing an electrical heating element, a lower grid on said lower section overlying-and spaced above said heating element, a flat heat conductive plate overlying said heatingv element and positioned between the heating element and said grid, said plate having !an outer end, a heat conductive extension on said outer end projecting laterally outwardly from said lower section, said extension having an outer end, and a heat conductive outer cup mounted on land in heat conductive relation to the outer end of the extension and in laterally spaced relation to said lower section. I

2. In an electrical wafile iron, a lower section containing an electrical heating element, a lower grid on said lower section overlying and spaced above said heating element, a flat heat conductive plate overlying said heating element and positioned between the heating element and said grid, said plate having an outer end, a heat conductive extension on said outer end projecting laterally outwardly from said lower section, said extension having an outer end, and a heat conductive outer cup mounted on and in heat conductive relation to the outer end of the extension and in laterally spaced relation to said lower section, and a heat conductive inner butter containing cup removably engaged in said outer cup.

3. In combination, a cooking appliance having a heat conductive lower section comprising a heating element and a grid overlying and closely spaced above the heating element, butter melting means comprising a heat conductive arm mounted on said lower section and projecting laterally from said lower section and having an outer end and a perforated heat conductive plate interposed between the heating element and said grid, said arm being hired to said plate in heat conductive relation to the plate, and heat conductive butter containing means mounted on the outer end of the arm in heat conductive contact with the arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 179,820 Selle July 1 1, 1876 1,245,670 Brown Nov. 6, 1917 1,563,973 Fest Dec. 1, 1925 1,666,335 Lentz Apr. 17, 1928 1,683,071 Hanks et al. Sept. 4, 1928 1,722,224 Jolly July 23, 1929 1,804,196 Barnes May 5, 1931 1,995,591 Sussman Mar. 26, 1935 2,448,215 George Aug. 31, 1948 2,480,337 Pearce Aug. 30, 1949 2,549,170 Clarke Apr. 17, 195.1 2,639,658 'Biehls May 26, 1953 2,660,108 Baer Nov. 24, 1953 2,663,785 Graham Dec. 22, 1953 

